LOGINThe drive back to the house passed in a heavy, suffocating silence. Lisa sat pinned against the passenger door, her forehead resting against the cold glass as her frantic breathing slowly leveled out into a dull, exhausted ache. Every time her eyes drifted toward the center console, she saw his large, steady hand resting on the gear shift. The scent of his cologne hung thick in the air, a physical reminder of the breakdown she had just suffered in his arms.When the sedan finally crunched onto the gravel driveway, the house was dark. Elena's car was conspicuously missing from its usual spot.Adrian killed the engine. The sudden silence inside the vehicle was deafening. Without a word, he stepped out, and Lisa followed him like a shadow, her legs feeling entirely like lead as she crossed the threshold into the quiet foyer.But the moment the front door clicked shut behind them, the atmosphere shifted instantly.Adrian paused, his head tilting slightly as his eyes scanned the empty
Adrian pressed his hand a little firmer against her arm, his dark eyes gleefully drinking in the frantic rise and fall of her chest, waiting for the final fracture that would bring her completely to her knees."I... I... I can't," she stuttered, her voice cracking into a helpless, broken sob.Her body was trembling so violently that her breath came in short, jagged gasps. The walls of her resistance were thoroughly collapsing, piece by agonizing piece.Adrian reached out, his hand warm and steady against her flushed skin. His long fingers gently cupped her jaw, his touch firm enough to leave no room for escape as he turned her head away from the window, forcing her to look straight into his face."Trust me and lean on me, Lisa," he murmured, his dark eyes wide with a simulated, agonizing concern that felt entirely real to her.Lisa stared back at him through a thick, blurred veil of hot tears. A profound, suffocating misery wrapped around her throat, squeezing tight. It was a sic
Before Lisa could even respond, Allan turned on his heel and walked briskly toward his car. The door slammed shut, the engine roared to life, and within seconds, his car was speeding out of the hotel parking lot, leaving nothing but a faint trail of exhaust behind.The sudden silence left in his wake was suffocating.Lisa stood frozen, the sweet, floral perfume Elena had sprayed on her collarbone now making her feel physically sick. Her shoulders trembled violently. She couldn't look at Adrian. She kept her eyes glued to the pavement, her heart drumming a frantic, agonizing rhythm against her ribs."In the car. Now," Adrian commanded.His voice wasn't loud, but the gravelly, unyielding tone left her with absolutely no choice. Lisa swallowed down a pathetic sob and moved like a ghost, walking over to the passenger side of his black sedan. Her fingers shook so badly she could barely pull the handle open. She slid into the leather seat, the expensive, rich scent of his car immedia
"Adrian!"Lisa’s shoulders trembled violently, her hands clutched into tight fists at her sides. It was the first time she had ever raised her voice to him—the first time she had ever dared to shatter the dynamic of the fragile, devoted brother-in-law who had done nothing but protect her. Her lower lip was clamped so hard between her teeth she was certain it would bleed.The weight of the situation was crushing her from the inside out. This was all her fault. She was the one who had made the reckless gamble at the cafe; she was the one who had brought a decent, innocent man into the middle of the dark, twisted rot festering inside her head. But beneath the suffocating layer of panic and shame, a cold, sharp realization suddenly pierced through the fog of her mind.The hotel visit hadn't been planned. It wasn't a reservation made days in advance. It was a chaotic, last-minute decision born out of her own frantic desperation just thirty minutes ago.Lisa stared at the broad, imp
Lisa slowly lowered her hands, her tear-stained face pale and tight with humiliation as she looked up at him."I'm sorry," he offered, a sincere, self-deprecating smile touching his lips. "I think... maybe we shouldn't have rushed it. That's on me, too. I got completely carried away because you're incredibly beautiful, but I should have realized we were moving way too fast."He shifted on the bed, giving her some space, and buttoned his blazer back up. "Let's just slow down, okay? We should wait until we get to know each other better. There's no rush. We can go back, grab dinner another day, and just talk. I've got all the time in the world."The sheer decency in his voice felt like a physical weight on Lisa’s chest. He was being a gentleman. He was offering her the exact healthy, normal progression that any regular girl would dream of.But as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek, forcing a weak, fragile nod, a chilling realization settled deep in her bones. Allan wanted to get to k
Allan adjusted his posture, leaning forward as a slow, confident smile began to curl his lips. He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on the soft knit dress that Elena had picked out—the way it perfectly accentuated her petite frame.Truthfully, petite girls were entirely his type. The moment he had walked in and seen Lisa, he had been pleased, but he hadn't expected her to be this forward. Now, a rush of male anticipation surged through him. He couldn't wait to get into bed with her and feel that soft skin underneath his body. He came to a quick conclusion that she must be incredibly attracted to him, wanting to fast-track things to test their sexual compatibility. In his mind, they were going to get along exceptionally well."Well," Allan started, his tone shifting into a smooth, accommodating register. "I believe that if two people feel a certain chemistry on their first meeting and would like to further... 'experiment' with that chemistry, they should be free to continue
I turned around and Adrian was already at the other end of the counter wiping it down, smiling to himself about something, looking completely at ease.His reaction made it seem like I was the weird one. I was the one standing at the sink having a crisis over dish soap and a hand on my waist that ha
When we got back to the house I grabbed my bag from the backseat and mumbled something about psychology articles I needed to catch up on before classes resumed and headed straight for the stairs before he could respond. I needed the walls of my room around me. I needed to sit somewhere that wasn't
The restaurant was on the top floor of a building just off the main road, all warm lighting and dark wood and quiet. I like quiet places. The hostess led us to a table by the window and I was glad, genuinely glad, that there was no one else seated up here yet. It was just us and the grey city spr
Somewhere between that not so special Tuesday and now, I had told him things I hadn't planned to tell anyone, including about the dreams, which I immediately regretted every single time but still told him about again the next time anyway.I mean, I would love to take those tales to my grave but I n







